wfn.org | AACC - Decolonisation of African Mind Important

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Mitch Odero - AACC Information Desk
E-mail:  infodesk@aacc-ceta.org
Tel: 254-020-882021/22 (up to February 4th)
Fax: 254-020-4443241/4445835

February 2nd 2004

PRESS RELEASE

Decolonisation of the African mind urgent
By Mitch Odero

Africa must embark on the process of "decolonizing the mind" and regain its 
value system if it is to develop.

The President of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) Rev. Dr. 
Nyansako-ni-Nku told members of the AACC General Committee today.

During a morning reflection, he noted that "one of the worst things about 
colonialism was the way our thinking process was destroyed. Our value 
system was completely dismantled and replaced by that of the west."

AACC's General Committee is the policy making organ of the 
organization.  Its members are elected from across Africa.

Rev. Nku emphasized that for Africa's development "we need to revisit our 
value system so that we can discuss those values that have impeded our 
progress" he said noting that Africa "is constantly subjected to cultural 
imperialism from the west" through the power of the media.

At another function, the AACC General Secretary Rev. Dr. H. Mvume Dandala 
noted that gender inequality was crucial in Africa where women constituted 
50 percent of the population, do 60 percent of work, earn one tenth of the 
income and own 1/100 of assets as compared to men.

In his welcome address to members of the AACC General Committee (January 
31st, 2004), he went on to note that poverty in Africa was growing 
horizontally across classes and vertically reaching the ranks of the middle 
and upper classes."

The situation he noted, was worsened by what he termed as "globalization of 
poverty" brought about by (transitional) "corporate globalization.

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